Lane tracking and new ABI sequencers

Jenny Clark wrote:
>>Our lab has recently had a XL-upgrade installed on an ABI-373sSequencer.
>>Lane tracking has become very tedious. I have tried running ABI standards
>>in lanes 1 and 48. I have also tried using a 36-lane gel (which defeats
>>the entire
>>purpose of the upgrade). Nothing works. I end up spending 30-45
>>minutes manually tracking the lanes. This is obviously very frustrating, =
and
>>it also seems like a waste of time. I am repeating work that the sequenci=
ng
>>software should be doing. ABI has offered very little in the way of help =
to
>>this problem, even though they know there is one. Does anyone have a
>>solution to this problem.
>>>>We will probably order another sequencer this fall or winter.Considering
>>the lack of support we have had from ABI, we would really like to purchase
>>the machine from someone else.
We have the same problem in principal, but it is linked to the new Version
of the software (3.0 - the one you will have to use with the XL-upgrades
on
377s and 373s). The very simple point is that this new software is a
complete desaster! And, as mentioned above, ABI does seemingly nothing to
solve the problem. We are running three 377s and one 373, ABI makes A LOT
of money with all the stuff we have to buy from them, but they are unable
to come up with an up-to-date software which does what it absolutely needs
to do!
Lets hope that the MD 96 capillary sequencer (one available) will be the
alternative.
There is some hope that ABI people read this newsgroup and solve the
problem after public discussion. But from listening to their people at
meetings I doubt that!
Bernd
_____________________________________________________________________
PD Dr. Bernd Weisshaar
MPI f=FCr Z=FCchtungsforschung
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